- Are we able to do the...? - Okay.
(swishing) - Oh, wow.
(swishing) You hear that?
I used to do a lot of imaginary sword play as a kid.
I was in a high-school theatre production of Robin Hood.
- Were you Robin Hood? - Nope! I was a tree.
(Zach): We're the Try Guys, and we absolutely
love the Olympics.
(man):
We can't get enough of it!
(Eugene): But to be honest, there's a lot we don't know.
(Zach): So we want to become the ultimate Olympic experts
the best way we know how...
by trying!
(man):
(Zach): Ho, ho, ho! Wow, look at her go.
- Look how fast her feet are. - It's unbelievable.
- What's the sword called? - Uh, uh...
- S... Swordy. - Swordy.
Swordy McSwordson.
I don't want to die.
- That is Ysaora Thibus.
She'll be fencing for France this summer at the Olympics,
but today, she's gonna teach us how to fence,
and at the end, we're gonna fence her.
- But before we go up against her, we need to learn...
...everything. What is fencing?
I think I get it.
Stab and don't be stabbed!
- Wow! - Wow, hey!
- Nice to meet you guys. It's the glove, sorry.
- Eugene, Eugene. - Nice to meet you.
- We can shake with the sword if you'd like, it's...
- Ah. - So this isn't sharp?
I always thought that this would, like, cut you.
It's a blunt...
- No, it's safe, it's just the tip.
It's electronic so when you put pressure on it...
like, you know that you scored.
- Oh, great, so it doesn't actually hurt, then?
- No, it doesn't hurt. You're gonna be safe.
- So let's start at the beginning.
- Yes. - What is fencing?
Fencing is like a combat sport with a sword.
It's about distance, speed, and timing.
When you fence, you have someone in front of you,
so you have to find the right distance
to do something. If I'm too far...
Come in front of me. Come in front of me.
- Oh, boy. All right. - Okay.
- Uh-huh. - I'm gonna test you.
- A little more intimidating now.
- A lot of persons, when they start fencing,
they are really far, because they are afraid to be touched.
You know? - I'm afraid of a lot of things.
- Yeah. (laughing)
But if you don't take the risk to be in the right distance
you cannot touch, because if I am too far,
and if I lunge... I'm not gonna touch you.
Okay? This is really good. (swishing)
So I need to find the right distance to be...
- Oh, you got me. (laughing)
So this is the first thing. You know? And then, the speed.
You don't always need to be fast.
- Uh-huh. - Because, for example,
you're here, and if I go really fast--
Don't move. - Jesus Christ.
All right, okay. Oh, my God.
- I'm going to be really fast,
and you're just going to extend your arm,
I'm going to miss you because I'm too fast.
You understand? So sometimes, you have to be slow
to hide your action. I'm gonna be slow,
and you don't know when I'm coming. And then--
- Oh, that's way scarier! (laughing)
It's like when a crocodile's like...
"I'm gonna get ya!" And then they jump out.
- So it's a mixture of moving slow and steady...
- Slow and fast. - ...and then very fast.
- Yes. - So, great fencers...
are unpredictable.
- Sometimes, you know what they do,
and they do it so well that they touch you anyways.
- Mmm. - So it's also, like,
a mix of many things.
- And what are some of the terms during the fight?
We know "En Garde." - Yes.
- Do you actually say that? - Yes, En Garde! Yes.
Because it's kind of like a French sport,
so everything is in French, like the referee
speaks in French. - Oh, so it is French!
- I think it started in Egypt.
I don't exactly know... I don't know exactly.
So I don't want to say... - I'm sorry,
are you not a historian as well? - No, I'm not a historian.
(narrator):
Let's rewind a bit.
Egyptians, Romans, Greeks,
all stabbed each other with long, sharp objects.
(slicing, screaming)
But fencing as we know it
took shape in the late 15th century
when Italians, Spaniards, and the French
began treating the duel as a form of sport.
En Garde! In fact,
winners were the first to draw visible blood,
hence the white uniforms.
Good luck with those stains.
But two key inventions would limit the flesh wounds.
The wire mesh mask and the flat tipped blade.
Finally free of carnage, fencing lunged into the future.
Let's fast-forward.
(crowd cheering)
Today, Olympic fencers are world-class athletes
with high-tech gear.
Blades tipped with digital sensors,
and neon face masks that light up
with every touch.
(beeping)
But nods to the past remain.
In fact, the fencing strip, known as a piste,
is supposedly the exact width of a medieval castle hallway.
And while Italy, France, and Hungary
have won more fencing medals than any other countries,
upstarts like South Korea, Tunisia, and Venezuela
have all won medals in recent years.
Back to you, Try Guys!
- All right, so we're gonna see how you train.
- Yes! I'm gonna explain to you some footwork.
And the best way is like to do it with my trainer,
Maurizio. - Hi, I'm Zach.
I'm gonna call you Master, if that's quite all right
with you. - Maestro.
- Maestro, Italian!
- We have a lot of exercise that can improve coordination,
rapidity, power in the lower body for the fencing.
So it's the first time that you try fencing?
- Uh, first time exercising? Yeah, yeah.
(laughing) - No, no, fencing.
- That too.
- Can you choose the... - Oh, no.
Oh, this looks terrible already.
- She's just walking. - Yeah.
(laughing)
Wow!
You're making that look very easy
and I know that it is not.
- No, that's gonna be hard.
Do you ever run on treadmills backwards?
- I don't run on treadmills at all.
- Do you want to go first? - No.
This is already faster than I would care to be
on a treadmill.
- Yes! - Yeah!
- I'm like a... I'm a horse! I'm galloping!
It's like a little dance!
- No, he's good!
Perfect!
(Eugene): One, two...
- You're representing France at the Olympics this year.
- Yes. I'm from a French island, Guadeloupe,
in the Caribbean.
And when I was 17, I moved to France for fencing.
And by now, I'm the number one in my country.
- Yes!
So, you're qualified for Tokyo, right?
- Yes. - But have you been
to an Olympics before? - Yes, I've been to London
and Rio. (gasping)
- Twice! - Wow!
(announcer): From France, Ysaora Thibus!
(crowd cheering)
(beeping, shouting)
(Eugene): So you have another exercise that's more
fencing specific?
- This is an exercise that improves
your balance on the position of the fencing.
So the step, the lunge.
And after, even the speed.
You have to jump and go. You go...
- Whoa! - Wow!
- And you have to push with the...
- The legs. - Yes.
- Okay, so I do it slow. So you jump...
...lunge, then you start again.
- Advance, lunge...
- And then you step back until the end.
- To the end. - Oh, okay.
- Okay, here we go.
- Jump. (laughing)
He's going, he's going! (laughing)
- I feel like I get the lunge.
- Yeah, but you didn't do it. - Right.
- Yeah. - In your mind, it's good.
- And this is just helping with general coordination.
- Yeah, coordination... - Oh, that's why I'm bad at it.
- ...the speed of the foot.
- Do it, Eugene!
- Good. Keep going. Don't stop.
Yeah. And you step back.
That was good.
He won! - I'm used to it.
- Does it matter that we're different sizes?
Are there weight classes in fencing?
- No, there are no weight classes in fencing.
- Wait, so you can face any size of a person?
- Yes. - Alright, so we're basically
pros of the footwork, that's great, we nailed it.
- Yeah, you nailed it. - Let's get some swords.
A question about your sword. Is it called a sword?
- We say, "weapon."
- Weapon...
- And we have, like, three different weapons.
Sabre, Epee, and Foil.
- And what's this one? - This one is Foil.
- What's the difference between them?
- Foil is the weapon
that you start with.
And like, back in the day,
Epee was like more the duel...
...weapon.
So Epee and Foil, you can touch with the tip.
And with the Sabre, you can touch with all the blade.
So this is like, the main difference.
- Ah. - You see?
- Yes. - And I imagine...
It's never one versus the other.
So it's the same sword. - Yes, always the same.
- So, the Olympics, are they divided into different...?
- Yes. - Oh, okay.
- People who do Epee don't do Foil,
and they don't do Sabre, they just do only one weapon.
- Which one's the best?
- Women's Foil.
(laughing)
(narrator):
Allow me to provide some fun facts
about Olympic fencing rules.
Fencing has a deep love affair
with the number 3.
As you know, there are three different weapons.
And as for score keeping,
each head-to-head bout
consists of three rounds.
How long is each round? Correct!
It's three minutes.
And the first person to reach 15 points
or achieve the highest score at the end of three rounds wins!
(crowd cheering)
- So the Foil is like the lightest weapon.
There's a wire inside the blades.
- A wire?!
Oh! Inside all these... - Inside!
- Yeah, inside. - ...have a wire, wow.
- You're telling me this sword's a computer?!
- Kind of.
- No, but it's connected to the wire,
and then it's connected to the machine
that you're gonna see, and then, like...
It's gonna win when you score.
You can touch on torso, this is the target.
And so, when you touch it, you score one point.
- And all of this can electronically read the touch.
- Yes. When you are in your... on line position,
you say, "En Garde" so it's the first position.
- En Garde means online?
- So it's the... (laughing)
- When I go to YouTube, I'm En Garde?
- En Garde is like your first position.
- Okay. - So it's like, "Ready."
- So yes, you're ready.
Like, in English, we say, "Ready, fence."
And we say, "Pret, allez."
- So much prettier. - Yeah, it's prettier.
- Pret, allez. - And you can start the bout.
To use the Foil, we usually have a glove.
I mean, all the time. This, yes, only one.
We don't need two. So...
- Only one glove? - Only one glove.
- And then if it ends in a draw,
you go up and you go...
- Ugh! (laughing)
- How dare you, sir!
- Ugh!
- Okay. - I'm just messing around.
- You're funny! - Okay, okay.
Back to the stuff.
Hey, what's up with this goofy handle?
- Yeah, it's the grip of the Foil.
So it's kind of a pistol grip.
In fencing, you don't need big movements,
just need two fingers to control your Foil.
- Like chopsticks.
- Exactly. - Oh.
- I'm just making everything Asian.
- You're going to try to reach each point...
- Mm-hmm. - And then in the back.
Okay? - Oh, wow.
- You're hitting him in the back when you do that?
- Yeah! That's so crazy!
- In fencing... - It bends behind him.
- ...you don't need big movements.
- Wow. So it's like, right here on the upper shoulder.
- Yes. Try to reach every... - Nipple.
- ...nipple. - Nipple.
- Tummy. - Tummy.
- Spleen? - Splee-- appendix?
- Bladder? Appendix!
(laughing)
- Come on, man! What's the dummy's name?
- Zach. - Zach.
(laughing)
(buzzer sounding) - Nope, I missed.
(buzzer sounding) - Maybe try to reach this one
in the middle. (buzzer sounding)
(buzzer sounding)
- Okay, I'm just gonna... boop!
Haha. Nipple...
Hey! Bullseye!
- Okay.
(buzzer sounding repeatedly)
- Better.
- Okay, it's your turn! (laughing)
Yes!
Here I go straight, so I can touch you,
but then you're gonna try to not be touched.
Parry me. Yes. - Oh!
So that's parry. - This is a parry.
- And once you pare, then the next person
has the... - Priority.
- ...priority to go. Ah! - Yes.
(indistinct comment)
(judge speaking Italian)
- So, you don't want the person to touch your blade,
so this is why I go straight.
- Wow! - And I go on.
Then I'm gonna try to go on. - Oh, that was so cool!
That was terrifying. - You could kill me so easily!
So you've been watching us train for a little bit.
We're gonna try and take you on.
Do you think we stand a chance?
- To beat me, no. - Okay.
- Do you think that he could score a point against you?
- Yes! Yes, he can. I believe in him.
- Do you think I could score a point against you?
- You? (laughing)
Yes! Yes...
You can beat her, Eugene! - Let's try!
- That's what we do!
(Eugene): One, two...
- That's cool!
- Wow, this is already super fun.
- Let's go stab some people. - All right!
(narrator):
Ysaora Thibus...
against Zach Kornfeld.
They will duel for one round, and the first person
to reach five points wins!
(Eugene): En Garde! Pret! Allez!
- Oh, that's it. Let's go. Okay.
Oh! (laughing)
(buzzer sounding) Jesus!
- En Garde... - Uh-huh.
- Pret... - Yup.
- Allez! - Okay.
Come on.
(Ysaora speaks indistinctly)
(Zach screaming)
(laughing) - Out!
- Oh, I pissed her off now.
No, no, no, no, no!
(buzzer sounding) - Out!
(buzzer sounding) - Ah...
Ah...
It's like trying to outswim a shark.
This is not my arena.
- That was fun.
- Ahh!
Eugene, top that! (laughing)
(narrator):
will face off against Eugene Yang.
They will duel for one round,
and that round will end if Eugene can score
a single point!
- En Garde!
Pret!
Allez!
- Ho, ho! Clean!
Ho, ho!
- All right, En Garde!
Pret!
Allez!
Oh, yeah!
(buzzer sounding)
Whoo!
She's fast!
- Okay. - En Garde!
Pret! Allez!
- There's so much technique and physicality.
(buzzer sounding)
That was fast. (Ysaora laughing)
(Eugene): But in the end, when you're facing
your opponent,
it's a combat sport. You are fighting someone.
- Allez!
(buzzer sounding)
- Whoa! - Oh!
(laughing)
- So you have to be way closer if you want me to miss.
And at the same time, you have to use your sword.
Like, touch me.
Yes, good. Don't be scared.
I'm not going to be hurt.
- One point. Just one point.
She said I've been in the vicinity to get a point,
but I haven't committed a hundred percent.
So she's saying, you know, "Hey, you're not gonna hurt me,
I'm an Olympian. Go as hard as you want." So...
It's all on me, but I gotta bring out the tiger.
All right, here we go.
(Zach): En Garde! Pret!
Allez!
(buzzer sounding) (Ysaora): What?!
(cheering)
(Eugene shouting)
(excited shouting) - There it is!
(Eugene): Oh, my God!
- Ahh! - Wow!
Okay, she went easy on me, but that was incredible.
(buzzer sounding) Yeah!
- Congratulations. - Wow!
I felt us both going at the same time too.
- Yes, yes! I missed you, and then you touched me.
That was perfect. - A lot of it was luck.
But also I took the strategy she taught me,
and I implemented it.
To be able to execute something that an Olympian
trains you to do
was like nothing else. I was so excited.
Wow, that was incredible.
- You should retire. (laughing)
- We demonstrated the lightest form
of fencing that one could do,
but if you see someone like Ysa
going against other Olympians,
that's gonna be spectacular. - Oh, yeah.
(judge speaking French)
(in French): Thank you, everybody! It was fun.
I'll meet you at the summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Bye-bye!
- Yeah, Ysa! You tell 'em! - Amazing.
- That was beautiful.
(whispering): What did she say?
(in French): It was incredible, Zach. She is incredible.
- Oh, cool.
- These are fun. - Yeah, this is good.
What does it feel like if you hit my head?
Oh, my God. So loud in here.
- Really? - Oh, my God!
- How loud is that? - Oh, it's so loud!
Do it to me. Ow! - Terrible!
- Ow! That's so loud!
(both chuckling)
(Eugene): You're dead!